Shingeki no Kyojin: Autosaidā (Outsider)
by Skymos
Summary: A fan written story revolving around a mysterious OC, who is a member of the 104th, amongst the other characters from the series. Adam is a peculiar young man; physically gifted, fuelled by emotion, and with origins shrouded in mystery, can the training provided by Commander Erwin Smith protect him from his biggest threat - himself? (Story revolves around OC.)
1. Episode 1 - Outsider

A shrill voice hollered at him across the field.

"Squad Leader Erwin!"

Turning his head, the sounds of the surroundings collided with one another and distorted the calling of his name. He lost his composure for a second, his quick wits dulled by the soft pattering of rain, and blood. He stifled these emotions in an instant and reared his horse around with a grunt to face the source of the noise.

"What is it?" He responded strongly to the summons.

"We found something, Squad Leader!" The soldier replied, his voice timid, and shaking. Erwin noticed it lacked the composure that his had held. Rather, not composure - it lacked the feigned strength, he realised. Such was to be expected. He looked the soldier over, quickly. A pair of crystal blue eyes stared back at him. The soldier was youthful, lean of build… and his eyes were swimming in fear. Erwin almost hadn't noticed that the youth was drenched in fresh blood.

"Where is your horse, Markoff?" Erwin asked, sternly. "You won't survive out here without it."

"I know, Squad Leader, I'm sorry," the youth persisted, eyes watering; "there was nothing I could do. The Abnormal grabbed it, and Cara's horse had collapsed, we had to leave them so we could get away, I couldn't-"

"It's all right, Steiner. Horses can be replaced." Erwin said, deftly sliding down from the saddle to stand before the youth. He'd seen the young man around the training grounds of the Recon Corps; he was strong, and skilled, but like so many others, inexperienced. Erwin knew first-hand that there were two types of soldiers - the experienced, and the dead. He'd seen far too many men and women go over the edge with fear when facing their first Titan.

The youth stood in front of him, frozen, apparently shocked that the Squad Leader had spoken to him so empathetically.

 _Have I spoken to Markoff before, or not? I cannot remember. I do find it a little ironic_

 _that he's always been more scared of me than the Titans._

"Markoff, control yourself. What is it that you've found?"

"We, uh-" Markoff stuttered in response, shivering. Whether it was due to fear or the cold, Erwin couldn't discern. Most likely, both. "We found a boy, sir."

Erwin inhaled in shock. They'd only found corpses, so far. All they'd ever found were corpses. Could it be him, alive?

"A boy? You're certain?"

"Yes, Squad Leader!" Markoff almost yelled in response; Erwin noticed that in the youth's urgency to respond, his voice peaked like a teenager.

Ignoring the crack, Erwin pressed for details.

"This boy, where is he? Is he safe?"

"I think a better question would be 'Are you two safe', Squad Leader."

Erwin's gaze left the shuddering Markoff and glanced past him at the sound of the womanly voice. He allowed himself a slight smirk when his eyes fell on Cara Agincourt, one of the best new recruits the Recon Corps had acquired. She would make a veteran soldier, for sure. He could see by her sunken stance and expression that she had been changed by the horrors of her first expedition - but unlike Markoff, had kept her britches unsoiled, and was coping with the situation.

"Elaborate, please, Agincourt." He responded.

"The kid came at us through the trees, sir. Must've thought we were hostile, as well as the Titans. Nearly gutted us both before I disarmed and hogtied him. Wasn't a complete success, though. Markoff shit himself."

 _So, he is here. I was right, thank God._

Erwin watched as Markoff doubled around on Agincourt, obviously painfully embarrassed about soiling himself in front of the Squad Leader.

"I did not! It's dirt, I fell off my horse!"

"Funny smelling dirt." Agincourt quipped in response, as she moved gradually closer. Erwin noticed that she'd sprained her leg, presumably when she'd fallen from her horse, and was walking with a slight limp.

"Hey, we're out here to kill Titans, right? How would you feel if you nearly got sliced open by some little shit?!"

"Looks like you didn't have a little shit, huh, Markoff."

"Fuck you, Cara! The knife didn't even come within a foot of your smart ass!"

Erwin decided that the frivolity was inappropriate given their situation.

"Enough!" He raised his voice, silencing the two of them. "What is the status of your squad? The cart?"

"Destroyed and dead, sir. We're the only two left."

"And this boy, he attacked you both?"

"Yes, Squad Leader!" Markoff yelled at him, forever trying his hardest to impress. "The little shit came right at us, and-"

"Shut up, Markoff, and calm down." Agincourt shouted. Erwin turned his head and scowled at her, impressed by her assertiveness but frustrated at the lack of answers. Time was always of the essence outside the Walls, and at the moment, they were wasting it.

"He was mistaken, Squad Leader." She continued. "The boy can't be older than ten. He ran at us covered in blood. His fighting style was out of fear and desperation, not out of skill. Whilst he was surprisingly aggressive for someone so young, he didn't do us any damage. He's just a scared kid."

 _It's him, no doubt._

"You've got hold of him, yes?" Erwin responded. He caught himself for a moment; why did he care so much about the life of some kid, after all the soldiers that had been lost on yet another fruitless expedition?

 _Because that kid's not from inside the Walls._ He thought to himself. _If.. if he's been out here since then… I can't bear to think what he's been through._

"Yes, Squad Leader!" Markoff was starting to annoy him, now.

"And, his weapon." Cara added.

"Weapon?" Erwin questioned further, as he re-mounted his horse in a swift movement.

"Yes, sir." Agincourt detailed. "Some improvised knife."

He cantered his horse slowly to allow Markoff and Agincourt to fall in alongside him.

"A child made a knife?"

"No, Squad Leader. No way he made that himself. It's very 'put-together', but the steelwork is that of a professional. Never seen anything like it, myself. I imagine it's an even higher quality than our standard issue blades."

 _More evidence._

"Little brat must've stolen it." Markoff unintelligently added to the conversation.

"We're outside the walls, idiot." Cara threw back at him. "Who could he have stolen it from, the Titans?"

 _Not the Titans._ Erwin thought to himself. _From his mother._

"We've got him just up here, sir." Cara told him, from his left. "The scouts have disposed of the Titans for now, but more will probably come. He's hogtied by one of the broken carts, up there."

"I see him." Erwin retorted, slowly bringing his horse up to a trot, moving away from them. "You two, fall back in with the scouts. I've got the boy."

"Sir." Cara responded, and he heard the loud pop of a flare gun from behind as he rode forward, signalling the scouts to pick up the two stranded soldiers.

"Are you seriously just going to fucking let him gallop off into the sunset…?" He picked up from Markoff as he rode away from them.

 _Going to have to discipline that one._

He knew time was of the essence, but he felt no need to break his horse into a gallop. The broken cart was only a few hundred meters ahead, and he always liked taking a moment's solace when out on expeditions. It was his way of dealing with the horrors of his first. He enjoyed the feeling of immense freedom, but also the undertones of fear; it kept him on his toes, and alert. It was a vitality he never seemed to find while inside the limits of the walls. Plus, he was sure that Levi and the others were more than capable of handling the situation. He'd taken a worthwhile risk in Levi, he knew.

There was another pop. In front of him, a long way. It was distant, but he could visibly see a long line of green ascending into the air, followed by another, and another. He trotted his horse to the edge of the forestation, a few metres away from the broken cart, which he saw was lying in the middle of the road, ruined. He could hear rustling, and the grunting of a child. The sound was muffled.

 _Was a mouth restraint really necessary?_ He thought. In amendment; _That was most likely Markoff's idea._

He moved swiftly towards the source of the noise, his heavy footfalls making damp squelching noises in the sodden grass. He halted, thinking.

 _For the boy's sake, I ought to move the corpses._

He glanced around. The rest of Agincourt's squad were strewn around the wreckage of the cart. Some were even in one piece.

Another pop. He looked up again, through the rain.

 _More green flares. The formation is moving. I don't have enough time to sugar-coat this._

Breaking into a run, Erwin quickly rounded the side of the cart to find the boy on the floor, lying in the muck and wet. The Squad Leader noticed he wasn't hog-tied, anymore, however. To the boy's left, severed ropes lay on the floor.

 _Shit,_ he thought. _my weapon is sheathed._

Erwin's soldier instincts quickly processed the glint of a knife.

"Stop!" He yelled, raising his hands in front of him. To his surprise, and gratitude, the boy did not cut him down, but remained where he was on the floor, gripping the knife in his left hand. It looked absurd; the weapon was far too large for a child. It was too large for most grown men. He looked it over; Agincourt was right. There was no chance the boy crafted the blade by himself. It was of a quality much like his own swords.

The rain was beginning to fall harder. He saw how it plastered the boy's hair to his head. A shocking and thick mane of orange - not red, like Agincourt, and others he knew, but true orange - he hadn't seen anything like it before. Beneath the orange was a fierce scowl, on a small, weathered face. The expression was caked in dirt, and blood.

It was the eyes that surprised Erwin the most, though.

Two fierce, emerald green eyes glared at him, out of hate and fear of the unknown. They were different, though; he'd seen eyes like that on veterans, on war heroes - but never on a child. They were old eyes. Eyes that had seen horrors, and worse. The eyes were eerily familiar, as if he'd looked into them a thousand times before.

He knelt, and felt one of his knees sink into the mud. His arms were still raised before him.

"I'm not going to hurt you, child." He spoke softly. At this, he noticed the boy's face loosen slightly.

He gestured at his own left hand, trying to make the boy drop the knife. The boy knew exactly what he was getting at, and tensing, threatened Erwin with the weapon. The Squad Leader backed up, but kept his cool. The child was scared, not hostile.

"Okay, okay." He gestured now to his mouth.

He saw the boy roll his eyes, turn the knife over, and plunge the blade into the mud. He nearly lunged backwards as the boy moved towards him, his soldier's instincts overpowering when outside the Walls.

He leant forward, slightly, and moved his arms up to untie the gag over the boy's mouth. He did so very gently, all the time maintaining eye contact with the child. He had been involved in hostage situations before; when it came down to subduing a scared individual, whether young or old, it came down to trust, and confidence. One wrong move and the boy could grab the knife and gut him on the spot.

 _What a way for me to go out._ He thought. _Countless expeditions, years of service, and then stabbed by a boy. Perhaps Markoff's statements had some validation._

The gag gave way, and Erwin removed it from the boy's mouth, tossing it aside. The boy just sat there, looking at him. Erwin noticed that while he still held a scowl, his eyes were also curious.

The Squad Leader placed a single hand on his chest.

"I'm Erwin Smith. I'm a Squad Leader in the Recon Corps."

He watched the boy. It looked as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"The Recon Corps." He gestured to the crest on his jacket. "Have you heard of us?"

Still no response.

He tensed and grimaced as the boy moved. He watched the knife rapidly slide back out of the mud and followed the blade until it was directly in front of his face. He loosened off when he realised it had stopped, and that the boy hadn't tried to kill him.

"What are you trying to show me?" He scrutinised the blade, trying to find what the boy was intending for him to see. He only saw mud, and steel.

He heard the boy huff and the knife was withdrawn. He almost made the child stop as he went to clean the dirt off of the blade, due to fear he would cut himself, but realised upon close inspection that the child knew to wipe with the dull side facing him.

 _So, it really is him. The blade is the same, no doubt. Perhaps the Commander will be accepting of the losses, now._

Erwin watched the boy spread the residue from the knife over his already filthy shirt, and saw the knife's blade dance back in front of his face.

This time when he scrutinised, he saw engravings. Letters? Characters, at the very least. They were crude, and he couldn't read them, but they looked familiar from when he'd once read about languages from the old civilisations.

A D A M

it read.

"I don't know what those mean, I'm afraid."

He saw the boy draw back, and the expression on his young face change from anticipation to disappointment. He watched the gleam of the knife quickly vanish as the boy slipped the huge blade into a makeshift leather scabbard loosely hung to his waist. Erwin found it subtly amusing that the weapon looked like a shortsword on the child's waist.

More pops in the distance.

He glanced up to his right, and saw more jets of green shoot into the gray, wet sky. The order to retreat. The Commander was pulling them out. Again.

Upon turning back, he noticed a small arm pointing towards the trails of the flares. He saw the boy was looking in amazement at the coloured jets.

He watched as the boy pointed to the flares, and then to him.

" _Are those your people?"_ He almost thought the boy was asking.

Instead of speaking, he merely nodded, and stretched out his right arm. He then felt the tension of the boy's left arm, as it moved and clasped his. A sign of trust. He saw the boy was smiling, the old eyes in his tiny face as fierce as ever.

Erwin's ears sprang up at the sound of crunching trees in the forest a few hundred meters ahead of where they were. He saw red flares fly into the sky in his peripheral vision.

Titans.

The boy knew it too, he noticed. Instead of reacting, he watched the emerald eyes turn and confidently look into his.

Time to act.

He swept the boy up in one quick movement, until the child was clasped on his wide back, and broke into the kind of speed a sprint only achieves when mortal danger is nearby. The tension on his harness and jacket told him the boy was still gripping tightly, and had no intention of letting go. The falling rain and the cold bit at his face. He placed trust in the child's conviction.

His horse was rearing with horror as he rapidly made up the ground towards where he had dismounted. In a swift movement he had performed countless times before, he swung himself up onto the saddle, calmed the horse, and quickly sat the boy in front of him.

Splinters went everywhere as the trees behind him burst, and he felt the all too familiar sense of death running right up behind him. He slapped the horse on the rump, sending it straight into a gallop, and sped it away from the Titan pursuing them.

 _I have to return to the formation, but this Titan is driving me away from it._

He didn't look back, but just by listening to the rapid and massive footfalls, could tell the Titan was not only an abnormal, but keeping pace with him through the forest. They rapidly moved through the trees, and every time they burst behind him under the force of the Abnormal's speed, he shielded the boy with his cloak, his own face becoming scratched by the debris.

He cut around a corner. The horse was doing incredibly well, he noticed, and the boy was quiet. Everyone was concentrating on staying alive.

The Titan was still hot on his heels. He could almost hear its breathing, now. Ten metre class, at least. Rounding another corner, he looped around and pushed back to where he'd first been met by Markoff and Agincourt, confusing the Titan by doing so. There was no trace of any soldiers here.

 _They made it out, then. I hope._

He felt his hood fly back under the force of the wind as they broke through the treeline, into the open. He held close to the edge of the forest, trying to coax more out of his steed as he heard the Titan explode through the treeline and tumble across the field. That wouldn't be the end of it, he was sure.

 _Hold the treeline, Erwin. It allows you maneuverability, yet the option to use your 3DMG if necessary._

He was hoping he wouldn't need it, though.

The treeline started to curve to his left, towards the direction that the formation had been moving in. He had to either lose this abnormal or kill it himself - he wasn't planning to let it wreak havoc amongst already tired and injured soldiers.

"Hyaah!" He yelled, wringing the reigns of his horse. The horse responded. He felt its entire body shift underneath him, and their speed almost doubled. He leant closer down to the animal, shielding the boy by doing so.

All this time, not so much as a single scream from the child. He was impressed.

He noticed the sounds of the footfalls gradually becoming quieter, when he listened closely through the rain and the falling of hooves on wet mud. As long as he lost the Titan, there was no need to engage. That was the whole purpose of this formation plan he'd formulated, after all. Whilst it wouldn't completely eliminate casualties - that would be impossible and unintelligent to discuss - it at least delayed the rate at which they occurred as opposed to facing the enemy head-on and trying to fight them through attrition. That was always fruitless. He knew. He'd been on missions like that.

He jerked slightly as the boy's arm shot forward, pointing into the distance. Erwin could see vague outlines of horses, and a cart, through the grey drizzle.

"That's the Recon Corps!" He yelled, forgetting for a moment that the boy most likely couldn't understand him. "The rear vanguard, and the carts!"

 _The Commander shouldn't be too far away. Neither should Levi._

He mustered more out of his horse, and they began to gain on the rear of the formation. He'd lose sight of them time to time due to the inclement weather, but kept his bearings true and pushed up on their position.

 _The Abnormal, Erwin, don't forget that you didn't kill it._

He quickly wrestled with the knapsack strapped to the side of his horse's' saddle, and fumbling around on the inside, drew his flare gun. He felt the boy shudder from the sound as he fired the gun, after directing it up and behind him. A sharply coloured plume of red burst into the gray mist behind him.

 _See it, please see it._

His hopes were satisfied. Not too much further ahead of where they were, another red line rocketed into the sky in his vision. He forced the horse even more, their speed increasing slightly as they ploughed across the rugged grassland terrain.

He began to notice units drifting past on his left, and right. Fellow soldiers. The rear scouts. He allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Morbidly, there was something more comfortable about being ripped to shreds by monsters with your friends than having the same happen alone. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed two horses approaching him on the left flank.

"Squad Leader Erwin!" A voice hollered at him, the sound oddly distorted by the wind, but still comprehensible. As he looked to his left, the silhouetted riders came into view, emerging from the grey.

"Agincourt, Markoff." He responded to them, allowing a small smile to crack across his face. Not that they could see, though. "I'm glad you made it out of there."

"So are we, sir." He was pleasantly surprised when Markoff responded to him, for once, not obnoxiously. He appeared to have taken a leaf from Agincourt's book.

"Did you get the boy, sir?" He heard Agincourt ask him, her voice raised to cut through the weather.

"Ask him yourself." He responded, gently drawing his cloak back from over the boy's head. He saw the emerald green eyes look straight at Agincourt, to which she smiled, despite the boy scowling.

"I'm glad." He heard he respond. "It must have been horrible for him out here. You're a good man, Erwin."

"Thank you, Agincourt."

 _They have no idea. You're not good, Erwin. You're selfish._

"You know, Levi isn't happy, sir." Erwin felt his brow drop into a scowl at the sound of Markoff's sarcasm. "He keeps saying it's a waste of time for a high-ranking officer to save a mysterious child."

 _Hot air for the other troops. Levi and Hanji both know the real reason we're even out here._

"Markoff," Erwin responded, choosing to use sarcasm against the annoying soldier, "when _is_ Levi happy?"

He allowed himself a smile at the joke he'd made at Levi's expense.

 _That shut him up._ The Squad Leader thought to himself. Then; _Drop the humour, Squad Leader. You have authority to maintain._

"Where is Levi now?" He asked the two newbies, trying to regain some of his former composure.

"Just up ahead, sir, past the rear carts." Came Agincourt's response. He liked her. Direct, to the point. None of the needless expressionism that Markoff constantly felt it was necessary to flaunt.

"Thank you." He said as he began to spur his horse forward, away from the two recruits. Before he could get far, he was hailed again by Agincourt.

"Sir!" He slowed his horse and turned his head to her.

"Squad Leader Hanji is with him." He watched her say through the mist. Was that concern on he saw on her face?

 _Hanji is known for her unorthodox methods, after all. Perhaps she and I aren't as different as Agincourt thinks._

"Noted". He said, turning his head away from Agincourt, and driving the horse forward, away from the two.

 _She must be concerned that I would just turn the child over to Hanji._ He mulled. He pulled back the cloak again, and looked at the back of the child's head. He could see the boy's eyes were fixed firmly on what was in front of them. The rain was easing, now.

 _No, not this time. Hanji will show restraint, or deal with me._

The scientist had developed a level of notoriety throughout the higher-ups of the Recon Corps - her experiments were perfectly above board, at first. He remembered her asking him to bring back some flowers from outside the wall to see if they grew in a different way outside the safe environment. They didn't, of course. The lack of any tangible results mixed with Hanji's untamable ambition was a mix that Erwin didn't approve of. He remembered things - with good reason - getting rather tense between her and the leadership when she started requesting to bring back body parts of deceased Corps members from expeditions. He remembered she'd even prompted to try and capture a Titan, once, and been practically laughed out of the Walls by the Commander.

Still, Erwin realised that he liked her. Perhaps not in the traditional sense. He knew he trusted her, and had great respect for her abilities, but he couldn't help but shudder at some of experiments she suggested. Needless to say, he wouldn't let her go to town on the boy. He was certain she'd have a field day, given the chance.

 _No. The boy is mine._ He thought to himself as they began to gain on the rear carts. He could see the outlines of horses. _All this caring about people is going to get you killed, Erwin._

He doubted that the boy and Levi would get along, though. He knew next to nothing about the child, and Levi had a habit of being abrasive at best with other people. They did, however, share the same sense of drive. That he knew. The same necessity to survive, to save others. The same determination.

The horses were closer now, he saw.

He motioned towards them as fast as his horse could carry them. He kept his eyes trained on them as they gradually gained, trying to figure out who was on the rear vanguard. As he drew up behind them, the red of Hanji's plume of hair became visible through the fog. He quickly whipped the cloak back over the boy, for now. He was relieved when the child didn't object.

"So, you got him?"

He nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of a voice just to his right. He'd been so focussed on catching up that he hadn't noticed the horse approaching from his flank.

"The others, they all the bait?" The voice said again, dripping with sarcasm.

"Levi." He replied, not even turning his head to look, as he was fully aware who the person was. No one else could get the drop on him like that.

"I guess you already know how excited Hanji is."

"Of course." He replied gruffly, noticing how Levi's tone resembled Markoff. "You disapprove of the decision?"

"No one can foretell the outcome." He heard Levi utter.

 _Those words really stuck with him, then._

"That's right."

"If you think something will come of this boy, whether that's through experiments, or training, that's enough for me."

He finally turned and looked at Levi. The young man met his gaze, his eyes as sly and focussed as ever.

"Just don't become a Dad." Levi continued. "I know it's tempting. But you've been doing this job longer than I have. Caring about people is useless."

 _He's right._

"Training, you suggest?" Erwin said, raising his voice slightly in an attempt to change the subject. It was awkward, and he heard his voice come out louder than necessary, forgetting that he no longer needed to shout over the rain. He was glad the Levi didn't seem to care.

"He's been out _here,_ Erwin." Came the sarcastic response.

'You're right." He conceded. If the boy could already handle himself outside the Walls at this age, he had the potential to make a fearsome Recon Corps soldier. An investment, he remembered.

He was snapped out of his stupor by Levi.

"I'm filthy." He heard the younger man say, his voice laden with distaste. He watched Levi's horse slowly pull ahead, and made his steed do the same. They were now gaining rapidly on the slower-moving carts. Erwin couldn't stop himself swallowing at the premise of presenting the boy to Hanji. In the distance, he could see the extremities of Wall Maria coming into sight. The horizon was still drenched in haze. He kept the cloak over the boy's head, for the time being.

Levi was the first to pull up alongside Hanji. He watched as the young man conversed briefly with her, most likely making some snide quip, and then as Hanji turned her head to see him. He reared his horse up on the left flank of hers. He noticed that the formation had slowed, now. They were almost home.

"Erwin!" He heard her voice deliver. He noticed the slight peaks in her pitch. She was excited, again.

 _Great._

"Hanji." He replied, calm and collected. "I'm glad you're okay."

"So am I." He heard the scientist joke. "So, I heard you've brought me a present?"

He sat upright when Levi scoffed sarcastically at the comment.

"I wouldn't say that, no."

"Oh, Erwin! Please!"

He sighed, and gently drew back his cloak from the concealed boy. He saw the child was clutching to the horse's neck, and watched the burning emerald eyes dart up to Squad Leader Hanji.

He tensed as Hanji over-reacted. As usual.

"Oh, Erwin!" He listened to her begin. "He's absolutely beautiful! What a darling! And to survive out here for so long, how exceptional! What an interesting addition he would be!"

He saw Hanji reach towards the boy, and was slightly concerned for how he'd react. Luckily, the boy dealt with her melodramatics. Erwin noticed he was far from pleased, though.

"He's so cute!" He heard her go on. "Don't you think so, Levi?"

The following comment from Levi was the most satirical he'd ever heard from the young man.

"Unbelievably so."

With that, his eyes followed Levi's horse as it galloped forward, up to central vanguard, and away from them. He saw the height of Wall Maria just ahead. Not much further, now.

"I'm thinking of monitoring him." He started, trying to change the subject from Hanji's experiment collection.

"Oh, _Erwin_!" He cringed slightly at her over-annunciation. "You would make such an incredible father!"

He sharply took in breath at the premise of that level of responsibility. Fathers in a world like this were more courageous than he could ever hope to be.

"No, nothing like that." He began quickly, desperately trying to reign in the conversation. Hanji always had an incredible knack at warping his words to make him feel uncomfortable. He knew she took a bit of fun in slipping under his tough demeanour.

"What, then?"

"Send him to a border family, perhaps. In one of the outer districts. Trost, or Shiganshina. Visit him every now and again. When he's old enough, he can enlist."

"Just to throw him away in the Recon Corps?" He noticed Hanji visibly pout. Her displays were starting to get on his nerves. "What a waste of a golden scientific opportunity."

"He's a child, Hanji." Erwin decided it was time for force. He spoke with authority. "Not a Titan. Not wild flowers. Not an experiment."

He felt relief when the scientist sighed.

"Fine, not an experiment. I'll keep watching him, though."

"I'd expect nothing less."

He noticed her breathe deeply.

"It is intriguing though, don't you think? That he's survived out here for so long on his own. How old is he, ten, maybe? Twelve?"

"I don't know."

"A pity. No chance he could've gotten over or through the Walls this young, though. It's him, no doubt. Perhaps you're right about the training, and I-"

He quickly turned to face Hanji. She had cut off mid sentence, and he noticed her gaze was fixed on the large scabbard hanging from the boy's small waist.

"What is that?"

"It's his weapon." Erwin head himself respond. He almost didn't realise he had. He was too focussed on reaching for the knife.

 _I didn't tell Hanji or Levi about the knife. Maybe it'll distract her ramblings for a moment, or two._

He saw the boy's head dart around, and the old emerald eyes stare straight into his.

He gently moved his right hand forward after gesturing to the knife. He kept his palm open, facing the sky. He thought it would say, " _May I?"_

He suddenly found the string-wrapped hilt of the blade sitting in the palm of his hand. He clasped it quickly, conscious of not dropping it. He took some pride in the fact the boy had surrendered the weapon immediately. Maybe he was beginning to trust him.

"That's a big knife." Came Hanji's response. "And that steelwork? I've never seen anything like it. Look at those ripples!"

"That's not what I need your help with." Erwin responded. He turned the knife over, revealing the engraved characters on the rear side of the blade. He brought the blade up into the light, and let Hanji view the scrawled letters.

"There are letters, or characters engraved on the side of the knife. They are crude, but they look like something from the old civilisations. I can't read them."

He was beginning to get sick of Hanji when he heard her inhale in shock, much more loudly than was necessary.

"I know those, I _know_ those!" He listened to her sprawl frantically. He thought she'd almost fallen off of her horse when she buckled over the side, but on closer inspection, realised that she was fumbling around in the knapsack strapped to her saddle.

"You brought books with you?" He asked, unimpressed.

"Of course I brought books!" Came the muffled voice from the side of the horse. "I always bring books! You never know what you might find, out here."

He sighed. Hanji's horse could easily drop 10 kilograms of carrying weight just in books.

"Ah, here we go!" He braced himself as she sat up. "Look!"

He looked reluctantly at the cover of the book. It was a Recon Corps intelligence book, written by Hanji.

 _Of course. I'd be foolish if I thought I'd escaped her ego._

"A dossier on Ancient Languages, with artifacts retrieved from outside the Walls. Written and compiled by Hanji Zoe." He droned, annoyed.

Hanji didn't seem to notice the discomfort in his voice.

"Yes! Aren't I wonderful. Anyway; _here_."

He watched her carelessly whip through pages, nearly tearing some out in her haste.

"This, these, here. These characters. Artifacts with them on were obtained from the far West, in the ruins of an old town. We haven't been able to go as far as the cities, obviously, but there's bound to be more there. These characters are unusual. They're similar to German in appearance, but they construct completely different words."

Erwin managed to glance a look of the title of the page between Hanji's lectures. The page was covered in phonetics, and more of those symbols, in comparison to ones that he could read. A translation chart.

"Are they incomplete?" He asked, curious. He knew he shouldn't fuel Hanji's eagerness, but there seemed to be a very small amount of the foreign characters compared to the ones that he could read.

"We're not sure, but there are certainly considerably less of these than there are of our own letters." He watched her look at the blade. "The knife, give me the knife."

He did as he was bid, to the boy's distaste. He felt the smaller body twitch in front of him, but calmed the child by placing his free hand on the boy's head.

He watched as Hanji pressed the blade to the pages of the book, comparing the characters.

"These, here. This one, two of these, and one of this…." He watched as she gestured, and compared the letters on the knife to the characters he understood. "A… D… A… M… . Adam. _Adam_?!"

He was taken aback by her sudden frustration.

"What, what is it?"

"That's not a word." He heard her say. "I'd been deciphering some old text we'd found in a house with these characters, a religious book, I think. Anyway, that's not important. What matters is that Adam _isn't a word_. Erwin, It's a _name_."

His eyes worked their way back to meet the boy's.

 _Adam._

"What's the language, Hanji?" He asked, taking the knife back from the scientist and returning it to the boy, who he watched slide it protectively back into its sheath.

"We don't know for certain. Something old, from the West. We think that it was called English, but no one speaks it any more. It's long dead."

 _From that far West? Hundreds and hundreds of miles? Surely not._

He felt the dull heat of the sun fade as they followed the rest of the formation into the entrance tunnel of Wall Maria. They had lost a large amount of their forces, again. Erwin felt strong dissatisfaction at that, but his new plans for only engaging the Titans when necessary had helped minimise the deaths as much as possible. Needless to say, he was beginning to realise the importance of exceptional soldiers. If this boy could match Levi, perhaps even himself, then the sacrifice of this expedition may have been worth it. Erwin knew the big picture was more important, after all. That was why the Commander liked him.

The tunnel was dark, and damp; he'd had enough of dark and damp. The boy had too, he could tell.

He leant forward so that the child could hear him.

"Not far now. You'll be safe here."

He saw the boy turn, and smile warmly at him.

Gradually, a few at a time, the returned soldiers emerged into the Shiganshina district. The weather had begun to change, he noticed, and golden sunlight emerged from the clouds. He was glad that this would be how the boy would view the cities for the first time.

He glanced down as they exited the long tunnel, into the town. He squinted slightly at the sudden appearance of light, and then saw the boy.

He watched the small body sit upright, and gaze around in wonderment at the settlement on the interior of the Wall. He couldn't resist using the boy's original name once.

"This is it, Reece." He said softly. "What we are. Welcome home."


	2. Episode 2 - The Grind

_Eight Years Later_

 _Training Grounds of the 104th Trainee Division_

"You, what's that expression for?!"

Adam stood upright, stiff, and squinted as he was yelled at. That bastard drill instructor had had his whole division standing in the same position for almost four hours. His arms, despite the fact they were well trained, ached for holding the salute for so long. His legs cramped, and he felt his face crumple into a dark scowl.

"What expression, sir?" He quipped back, respectfully, but with a hint of sarcasm.

"Don't play coy with me, boy!" The Drill Sergeant yelled in his face. He wanted to punch the idiot straight in the guts when he felt globules of spit land across his face. Instead, his grimace grew darker.

"I'm sorry, sir!" He responded through his teeth, crushing his anger as best he could.

"Sorry, huh?" The Drill Sergeant persisted. "Sorry that you've finally got a taste of what being a soldier is actually like, huh, big-shot?"

Adam responded to the insult. He felt himself twitch, and the fist raised to his chest in the salute tighten. He forced himself to keep it there.

"Commander Erwin can't babysit you here, shithead!'

 _Fuck._ Adam thought to himself. _Now they all know._

With that thought, he suddenly became aware of all the other Trainees around him tightening. He heard Jean scoff at him from behind. He visibly saw Eren twitch two Trainees down from him.

"He knows Erwin?!" Came a furious whisper from his rear. He felt the anger boiling inside him. This Drill Sergeant had had it out for him since day one. Perhaps he didn't like Erwin.

 _That being said, I don't like Erwin overly, either._ He thought to himself. _Guy doesn't turn up for six years and I still get shit when people say his perfect name._

"No, sir. You're right, sir!" He made himself look the Sergeant in the eyes as he said it. The confrontation seemed to dismay the screaming officer, a little.

"Damn right!" He listened to the brute yell, albeit less loudly and obnoxiously than last time. "Now, the rest of you! Don't think that _Princess_ over here gets any extra rights because he knows the Commander of the Recon Corps! In fact, I bet he's from the Capital! I bet he's weaker than all of us!"

Adam felt his anger nearly boil over. He was about to sock the Sergeant right in his smug face.

He remembered Levi saying that that was always his problem, when he had been training with him.

" _You're too impulsive."_ He recalled the Corporal saying, in his typical satirical drone. " _The enemy feel nothing. To kill them, you need to feel nothing. Any emotion you have in combat is a disadvantage."_

Regardless of what Levi had said, and regardless of the fact the chronic clean-freak had been the closest thing to a brother he'd ever had, the desire to smack his sergeant was overwhelming.

 _That's the point of the drilling._ He heard Erwin's authoritative voice ringing in his head. _They break you down, to build you up again._

Instead of physical violence - which he'd discerned was a stupid idea - he thought he might try and pacify the sergeant through words.

"Sir, I respectfully-"

"He's not weaker, sir!"

Adam watched as the big man's thick skull darted upwards and his gaze fell on someone in the ranks behind him.

"What the _fuck?!"_ Came the Sergeant's response, and Adam again stifled his anger as best he could as he was covered in spittle.

"He's not weaker, _Sir!_ "

Adam recognised the voice. To speak out like this, in front of the Sergeant? What was she thinking?

He watched the Sergeant's thick face descend into a menacing grimace. He felt no fear himself - Levi had taught him how easy it was to dispose of men - but he noticed the rest of the 104th get even tenser than they had been before.

 _They can't keep that tension up, especially not with the Sun today._ He thought idle-mindedly to himself. _One of them is bound to pass out._

He moved his eyes to the Drill Sergeant and watched the big man strut pretentiously down the front line of trainees.

"Got something to say, _Potato Girl?!"_

 _Fuck. Sasha, I'm sorry about that._

"Sir, yes Sir!" He heard Sasha yell in response. He heard her voice quivering. He silently scolded himself for setting her up like this. People had a wonderful habit of complicating their lives for him, whether intentionally or not, and he hated it. He hated himself for it.

"What is so important that you need to stipulate it _disrespectfully?!"_

He heard a scoff from behind him.

"More like _unintelligently._ " He heard Jean utter to Marco.

Shooting the tall guy a poisonous glare, he responded.

"Watch your fucking mouth."

Instead of replying, he noticed Jean simply flinch, and then scowling, saw him return to the stock-still salute. He turned back around to face the front, and chimed back in to Sasha being shouted down.

"Sir! His fitness test scores, sir!"

"What about them?!"

"Sir! They were exceptional!"

He noticed a pause from the sergeant, and saw the massive, dark silhouette in his peripheral vision draw away from Sasha slightly.

" _Exceptional,_ you say?" He noticed the Sergeant's voice was dripping with venom.

'Sir, yes Sir!" He heard Sasha respond. "His physical aptitude tests placed in the top 200 of all time, Sir!"

 _Why is she defending me?_

"He was second-equal in our division, Sir! Tied with Reiner Braun, both of whom were only slightly edged out by Mikasa Ackerman, in first place, Sir!"

"The point of this rant, Potato Girl?"

"Sir! I believe it's unfair to call him weak, sir!"

Another scoff from behind, he heard. It was Annie this time, he realised.

 _What's her problem?_

He remembered how abrasive she'd been towards everyone in the Trainee division since they'd arrived at the training camp. He thought she subtly reminded him of Levi. Calm. Collected, reserved. But cold. Cold and uncaring. He vowed that he would never become someone like that; the ability to retain human feelings whilst on the job was one of the reasons he _did_ admire Erwin, he recalled. Nevertheless, he didn't turn to face her, and took the grunt.

 _She obviously thinks that I am._ He thought. _She's probably just upset that I beat her._

He briefly snapped out of his thoughts, and noticed that the Drill Sergeant was still ripping into Sasha. Something about a stolen potato. Perhaps that's where the brute had gotten the nickname from, he mulled. Still, he thought that he'd much rather be called Potato Girl than Princess.

 _Fuck that guy._

He allowed himself to break discipline for a moment, and turned his head to look down the front rank that stood either side of him. The sergeant was pre-occupied to his left, so he was sure he could get away with it for a brief moment.

He'd made a point of trying to learn all their names as soon as he could. He wasn't sure why. He liked names. He guessed that was because he never had a real one of his own. Levi had told him the entire story. He'd heard it a thousand times from Hanji, as well. Erwin found him, and his knife, and they named him after what was engraved on the side. That perturbed him, he realised; Erwin would be as fickle as to name him in a language that isn't even spoken any more, on some artifact he'd found from god-knows-where?

 _That knife._ He recalled the Commander saying to him. _That knife, I found with you, Adam. It even has your name on the side, see? That language is old. It's special._

He felt himself waver slightly when he remembered how close to Erwin he used to be.

 _Like you, Adam. Don't lose it. And please; when you're with your new family? Be safe. Levi and I will be in touch._

He also remembered that that was almost exactly six years ago.

 _In touch._ He spoke in his mind. _Sure, Erwin. Thanks for that._

He shoved the thoughts of the Recon Corps out of his head for the moment, and turning his gaze to the right, looked down the ranks.

 _Mikasa Ackerman. Armin Arlert. Eren Jaegar. Connie Springer._

He turned, and looked to his left.

 _Christa Renz. Reiner Braun. Sasha Blouse. Bertholdt Hoover._

He thought all their names sounded wonderful. He enjoyed saying them all, in his head.

 _And, me._ He thought dully to himself. _Adam. Just Adam._

"What the _fuck_ did you just say to me?!"

He immediately broke out of his daydream. The Sergeant's voice had raised louder than he'd ever heard it before. Had Sasha seriously pissed the brute off this much? This time, he had to forcibly swallow to maintain his cool. He felt his face going numb. It happened when he started to boil over. He noticed Eren tensing more, as well.

 _This Sergeant is going to regret his dramatics if he goes much further._

"Sir! I just said that I think you're wrong, sir!"

" _Wrong?!"_ He heard the Sergeant scream, right in the girl's face. He noticed that Sasha was on the brink of tears. "You _dare_ question a senior officer?!"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"You _bitch!"_ He heard the Sergeant roar.

It all happened at once. In his peripheral, he saw the Drill Sergeant raise a muscular arm, to strike Sasha, he assumed. In an instant, before he could stop himself, his entire body shifted. He left Mikasa's side with a small rush of wind, and heard her vocalise as he darted from the line. He couldn't tell how much time it took him before he spear-tackled the Sergeant and ploughed the bastard head-first into the floor. It wasn't much. There was a sickening crunching sound, and he rolled the Sergeant over, so that he made eye contact. He felt himself grab the big man by the scruff of his jacket, with both hands, and yank his head forward, towards his own. He felt his arms tensing, the muscles in them working overdrive. He couldn't help but love the feeling. He saw fear in the man's eyes, pure and unfiltered. He certainly hadn't expected that, Adam realised.

 _Shit, I can't let myself do this. I could've killed him with that move, and then where would I be? Levi was right about me; I am too impulsive._

He felt his body function out of sync with his mind. Within moments, he was ready to strike the Sergeant's thick face.

 _Bastard, I'll-_

" _Armin!"_

He stopped dead, with his fist raised, and immediately darted his vision around to face behind him. He saw that everyone had broken rank, and were staring at him in shock. Annie, even. All except Eren and Mikasa.

 _I knew someone would pass out._

He threw the Sergeant to the floor, and quickly dismounted, standing bolt upright and sprinting over to where Armin had fallen in the dirt.

"He's been out here too long!" He heard himself say as he quickly made up the ground towards the small, blonde-haired boy. "He has sun-stroke, he needs water, and-"

" _Get away from him,_ you crazy bastard!"

He stopped dead in his tracks, his pathway blocked by an enraged Eren.

"Eren, please!" He said loudly, almost desperately.

 _Why do I want to kill someone one second and help someone the next? Am I completely controlled by my emotions?_

"I said get away!"

He realised that raising his voice any more would only worsen the situation. Eren was similar to him - once angered, there was no stopping him.

 _Think like Erwin!_ He said to himself. _Use logic, not force!_

"Eren, please. I'm sorry." He said, completely lowering his tone, and returning his stance to a non-combat state. "Everyone's tired, and I… I'm strong. I can lift him, take him back to the barracks for you."

He felt vilified in the pause that followed.

"Please."

He heard a muffled, and quiet voice emerge from the dust behind Eren.

"It's… it's okay, Eren. Calm down."

"Armin, you shouldn't try to stand!" He heard Mikasa say.

"I'm fine!" Came Armin's response. He watched the smaller boy struggle to his feet. "Well, I'm not fine, but… I can stand up."

He stayed stock still as he saw Eren double around to aggressively question Armin.

"What's the deal, Armin? You like this crazy guy?"

"He's not crazy!"

Adam was taken aback. He'd thought he'd developed nothing but notoriety in the time he'd spent with the 104th, mainly due to the fact most thought he was Erwin's son of some illegitimate means. Yet here, today, two people have made the effort to defend him.

 _Why?_

"What do you mean, Armin? Didn't you see him throw the Sergeant on the floor?"

"He's _not_ crazy!" Adam was surprised when Armin's voice raised to match Eren's. He hadn't thought the little guy had it in him. "He's like you, Eren. Impulsive. He acts on emotion." Adam remained speechless as Armin's dirt-covered face moved to his and looked him in the eye from a distance.

"I spoke to him, on our way here." He heard Armin say, and he recalled the conversation they'd had on the cart, on the first day they'd arrived at the training camp.

" _Your hair is an unusual colour."_ He remembered Armin saying to him. " _Are you from around here?"_

Adam recalled how the question about his origins had caught him openly off-guard.

" _I, uh-"_ He remembered stuttering. " _I'm from Trost District!"_

" _Trost, huh?"_ He remembered Armin replying, with notes of melancholy in his voice. " _We're from Shiganshina. Eren, Mikasa and I."_

" _Shiganshina?"_ Adam recalled that he had been hunting, in the woods of the Maria region, on the day that Shiganshina was attacked by the Titans. It seemed so long ago, now.

" _Yeah."_

" _I'm so sorry."_

" _Don't be."_ He remembered the genuine warmth behind the young boy's smile. " _We're stronger now, because of it."_

" _Strength…"_ He recalled chuckling. " _Horrors like that aren't what should make you strong."_

" _What should?"_

" _Friends."_ He felt a little better remembering how he'd extended his hand to Armin. " _Friends make you stronger."_

The younger boy had taken the handshake. " _I agree. I'm Armin. Armin Arlert. That's Eren Jaeger, and Mikasa Ackerman."_

He remembered looking about the back of the cart, and at the two Armin had pointed out to him. Everyone had been asleep, except Armin, and himself.

" _And you? What's your name?"_

" _Adam."_ He'd responded. " _Just Adam."_

"So what?" He was snapped back into the present by Eren's loud objections.

"So, someone who has his head on that properly isn't crazy!"

He was still standing there, hands loosely at his sides, his mouth slightly agape. How long had it been, now? He'd lost track of the time in his daydream. Had Armin told them about the conversation to pacify Eren?

"The point is, back off!"

He heard Eren sigh, and met his eyes. They were green, he noticed. Like his.

"Fine." He heard Eren say, and watched as he drew backwards.

He twitched as he heard footfalls from behind. They were fast, heavy, and rapidly approaching him.

"You little _shit!"_ He heard yelled, from his rear. The Sergeant.

He waited for the massive man to get close enough, and as the brute swung, Adam ducked under his punch, and grabbed hold of his gigantic right arm. Pushing upwards on the elbow, he made himself tweak the arm upwards to the point where it was on the brink of breaking. He took some grim satisfaction in the fact that this caused the Sergeant to completely abandon any offensive desires and start shrieking like a young girl.

"No, don't break my arm, please! I'm sorry, I-"

" _What is the meaning of this?!"_ He heard a huge voice boom from a few meters to his left, on a small ridge, above where their Trainee unit had been stationed.

 _Shit, it's Commander Jurgen. Way to go, Princess. You've outdone yourself this time._

He looked to his right, into the sun, and up to the ledge. He saw the outline of the well-built and rugged Commander Jurgen standing at the brim. Upon sight, he immediately felt the tension in his arms disperse. The pathetic Sergeant collapsed to the floor, then hurriedly raised himself, as Adam let his arms fall to his side.

"Commander!" Adam heard the idiotic brute yell in angry embarrassment. "This Trainee attacked me! Attacked a Commanding Officer! He should be-"

"Silence, Sergeant Arnold, or you'll be in a worse situation than you are already."

Adam took some joy in the pathetic wheeze that the Sergeant released at the premise of serious trouble from his higher-ups.

"Bu- but, Sir, I-"

"Your mistreating of recruits has been noted before. Striking - or attempting to strike them - is highly inappropriate. I believe Trainee Adam was justified in his assault. I witnessed the entire thing."

Adam felt a grin cut across his face, only for it to immediately collapse again.

"However." He heard the Commander begin. "Impulsive and reckless decisions lead to deaths, and disregarding or contradicting a Commanding Officer - no matter how idiotic or uncharismatic - also leads to deaths. Thus, it is also inappropriate. You are here to train, Adam, yes?"

Adam delayed a moment, and reacted quickly when he realised he'd hesitated in front of the Commander of the Training Corps.

"Sir, yes Sir!" As he spoke, he rapidly shifted his stance into the Soldier's Salute.

"As I thought." He heard Jurgen continue. "In addition, Trainee Blouse's insubordination cannot go unpunished, either."

Adam heard Sasha wince from somewhere to his rear, but made himself stay stock still, looking right at the Commander.

"Trainee Adam, Sergeant Arnold, I'll see you both in my office to discuss this further. Trainee Adam first, if you please. Trainee Blouse."

Adam watched as the massive man on the hill turned away from him, to face Sasha.

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"You are well acquainted with running, yes?"

"Sir, yes Sir. The Sergeant made me run for eight hours, the other day!"

Adam watched the big Commander smirk underneath a massive, red moustache.

"Good. Another eight hours should suffice."

 _Sasha hated every second of that,_ Adam thought to himself.

"Sir, yes Sir!"

"Lastly," the Commander continued, "make sure that Trainee Arlert is healthy. I'll discuss with Arnold about these 'conditioning' exercises he has you all doing." Adam watched the big Commander round on Arnold. "In great depth." He noticed the words were significantly more menacing than the entire rest of the Commander's address.

"104th, Dismissed!"

Adam clutched his fist to his chest tighter as he heard the other recruits conduct the salute behind him.

"Sir, yes Sir!" They said in unison.

He dusted himself off with his hands, after Jurgen had turned and left. He heard Sasha sigh, and turned to look at her. Their eyes met for a brief moment - emerald green meeting hazel - and he watched her smile weakly at him. He tried to smile back. He wasn't sure what expression he made in the end, but she seemed to like it. That was a bonus, he supposed. He watched her walk off behind the other recruits, back to the barracks. He felt bad that he'd bought her another run with his outburst. He might join her later, if she was still running by the time he'd finished being grilled alive by the Commander.

He deliberately made himself move out of the enraged and embarrassed Sergeant Arnold's way. He felt he didn't need to exacerbate the situation any further. He watched in distaste as the large man vociferously lumbered past him, grumbling.

 _What an embarrassment._

He hoped that the soldiers in the Recon Corps - or any of the divisions, for that matter - would be more intelligent than Arnold. Adam still hadn't fully decided which division he would enlist in, upon graduation. If he even made it to graduation, that is.

 _Jurgen's probably going to throw me out for this._ He thought. _The man doesn't care about me. He's just dealing with me because Erwin asked him to._

"Hey, Adam."

He turned back to where the recruits had been standing at the sound of the voice.

"M-Mikasa." He responded, caught off guard by the silentness she somehow maintained, despite being so close to where he was standing. He remembered her mainly from the initial fitness tests - she was the only one his eyes were drawn to, apart from Annie. Both of them were as good as he was. As strong as he was. He realised that Mikasa was a whole other level, though. He was driven to action by emotions - by determination, and anger. He watched her for a short while, and in that time, realised that she slipped into a state of the sublime when she switched into her 'combat mode', as the recruits commonly named it. It allowed her to accomplish incredible things, by being still in her mind. He admired it. He hadn't seen it since he'd last seen Levi in combat.

"I wanted to say thanks." He listened to her begin, looking into her eyes. She was different, he noticed, but oddly beautiful. Her face was unlike anyone else he'd seen before. He disregarded faces normally - he didn't believe them as important as a person's resolve - but he couldn't help but notice how Mikasa stood out from the crowd. Her name was peculiar, as well. He'd heard Jean and Braun calling her an "Oriental", but that meant nothing to him.

"What for?" He responded.

"For caring about Armin." He heard her reply. He tried his best to hold their eye contact, but he could feel himself wavering. "He's had a rough time, so far. You're about the only person here who's spoken to him."

"It's fine." Adam listened to himself reply. "I like him." He paused for a brief moment. "He isn't strong, and he knows that - but he could be. I think the fact he knows it causes him to think about it too much - and that's what's holding him back."

"You're so peculiar." He was taken aback a little by her sudden and blunt observation.

"How so?"

"One moment, you're pummeling our superior into the dirt. The next, you're saying something beautiful, and poignant. I'm not sure. I guess you're like Eren."

"Emotional?" Adam felt himself interject. He'd been called 'emotional' almost as many times since coming here as he had been called 'Princess'.

"Deep." Came Mikasa's response, correcting him, and he again felt himself waver. She was clever, as well. Cleverer than him, he realised. "Complex. A many sided coin."

"What do you mean, Mikasa?"

"I mean that I think there's more to you than you let up. Everyone's saying you're some Commander's pet from the Capital. Sure, they can teach you combat skills there, but the impulse, the reflexes that you've shown?"

 _She's got me. She knows. She knows I'm from outside the Walls, and I haven't even told her. These people are the real deal._

"I'm not as good as I'm being made out to be, I promise." He interspersed, trying to redirect the conversation. Mikasa wasn't relenting, he noticed. This was a peculiar conversation, for him. Her curiosity was almost invasive.

"And there's the Commander's modesty." She began. "You were definitely raised by Erwin, that much I'm sure of. Your origins, though… I think there's a lot more to that."

Adam decided to try and conflict her point directly.

"What makes you assume that?" He responded, notching the annoyance up slightly in his voice. He looked her over, his eyes jumping around her face, trying to pick up the slightest reaction. His search was fruitless, and he realised she hadn't even reacted to the change in tone.

"Because there's a lot more to mine, as well." He listened to her say, simply. "And I know what people like that look like." He watched her turn, and begin to walk away, towards the rest of the receding Trainees.

"You have old eyes, Adam." He heard her say, as her voice gradually faded and her body grew further away from him.

 _Erwin said that to me, once._

He turned, and made himself look at the sky. Squinting, he saw the sun was much lower than it had been the last time he'd looked. Mid afternoon, he guessed. He could still feel the heat of the sun, but it had waned slightly, and was more pleasant on his skin. He made himself start trudging up the gravel slope, to Jurgen's office, several hundred meters up the largest hill. He felt his feet sink in the loose stones. He struggled to lift his heavy boots, and he felt his ankles and calves screaming at the exercise. He had been standing for most of the day, which he realised certainly wouldn't have helped. Regardless, he did what he always did. He made himself carry on.

He looked around as he climbed the slope, taking in his surroundings. He couldn't see Arnold anywhere - luckily. He assumed the brute of a Sergeant was most likely nursing his wounds or sobbing in his cabin.

 _I was quite reserved,_ he thought to himself. _I had the element of surprise. If I wanted to, I could easily have killed him._

He banished the thoughts of death from his mind. Cancelled all killing, forgot about murder. He couldn't allow himself to be compromised by his emotions, again. Especially not when he was in a meeting with Jurgen. If there was any excuse to act like Levi, he realised that dealing with discipline from the Commander was most likely a good one.

 _How long does this goddamn slope go for?_

He could feel himself walking, and moving, but the cabin was growing towards him at a frustratingly slow pace. He noticed feeling starting to return to him, and the tension in his torso muscles begin to dissipate. He felt a little colder, too. His fight or flight was wearing off, he realised. He'd always hated the transition from adrenaline rush to Lance Corporal Levi-level, depressed sobriety.

He noticed he had broken a sweat. Quite noticeably, in fact. The massively boring realities of doing the laundry and perhaps getting a decent night's sleep began to filter into his mind, drowning out thoughts of fighting and war. He hadn't slept properly in years, he remembered. He'd been surviving on power naps, four hours at most. He had no idea how his body was coping, himself, but it seemed to thriving, to be getting all it needed and no more. He'd lie there sometimes, at night, and simply stare at the engravings on the side of his knife. They were his name - but he'd always wondered what they'd actually meant, when people had spoken the language that they were written in.

Finally, he'd come to reach the cabin. He turned briefly, and looked down the slope, across the yard, and all the divisions of Trainees. In the distance, he could see carriages, carrying away the most recent dropouts. Back to their homes, he assumed. The weak, and the insubordinate.

 _Better get used to the idea of long-haul carriage rides._ He thought to himself. _Jurgen's about to tell you you've got a one-way ticket out of here._

He allowed himself a moment to breathe. Inhaling, he took in the smell of the afternoon air. The gravel stank, like mud and stone, but through that musk, he could discern the fresh air. He loved that smell more than anything. He let it calm him a little, before allowing himself to turn, and step onto the Commander's front porch. He thought the cabin was a tad twee for his liking - trying to make military buildings seem like homes felt odd to him. Regardless, he motioned towards the door. He raised his right hand to knock, but was cut off. i

"Come in, Adam." He heard Jurgen's voice through the door.

He laid his fist flat, and put his palm on the door. Pushing it slightly, he heard it click off of the latch, and slide open with a creak. He moved through the doorway, into the small cabin. He noticed the strong smell of alcohol, mixed with the deep aroma of hardwood walls. It was far too strong a smell for his liking, but he decided it was very apt for Jurgen, as a person.

The man was huge, he noticed. Bigger than Arnold. Adam saw he stood only slightly taller than he himself did, but must've weighed nearly twice as much.

 _These men will never be able to move should the Titans end up getting this far._ He thought to himself. _You could put all the gas cylinders in the Capital on this man's Movement Gear and he wouldn't get ten feet off the ground._

"Sit down, please." He heard the large man say. Adam noticed his tone was gruff, and harsh - that of an experienced soldier - but oddly courteous. He always thought that Jurgen had had it out for him, like the other officers had.

Without a word, he moved deftly to the chair closest to him, separated from Jurgen's own chair by a pristine wooden desk. He made a point to sit down carefully, as the carved-wood chair looked set to snap under the weight of a twig, let alone a human.

He looked up, and was suddenly facing a huge presence. Adam recalculated his appraisal of the chairs as he watched Jurgen throw his huge figure down into his chair's twin on the other side of the desk without so much as a single groan. He met the thick man's eyes - two beads of brown, surrounded by a mass of weathered flesh and thick, auburn hair.

He thought he'd begin the conversation.

"Bring me here to tell me off, sir?" He asked, deciding to take the offensive.

Jurgen picked up on his sarcasm. "No, you cheeky shit, I haven't." Adam listened to the man scoff - he could hardly call it a laugh - and watched the massive belly jiggle in front of him.

 _How on earth do people let themselves get into a state like that?_

Adam watched in disbelief as the massive man drew a hip-flask from his jacket, remove the cap, and take a deep swig. He followed the Commander with his eyes as he extended the arm holding the flask out.

"You want some?" He shook his head at the Commander's offer, and the massive man drew the flask-carrying arm back. "More for me, then."

"Sir, respectfully," Adam began, "Why am I here, if not for discipline?"

"You youths." He cringed. He thought the Commander was about to embark on another 'ignorant new generation' lecture. Adam thought he liked the man overall, but couldn't help but find him unbearingly crass every so often.

"You run and you jump and you want everything as quickly as possible." He listened to the Commander continue. "All right, fine. I'll tell you why you're here."

Adam spoke up.

"You're not bringing me here to tell me you're kicking me out, are you?"

He found he'd unintentionally leant forward when he'd asked that. He stayed still, waiting for the response.

The Commander scoffed again, and this time laughed. It was the biggest, most booming sound Adam had heard since they'd tested the new cannons on-site the other week.

"Throw you out? My second-best tied recruit? Not likely. Please tell me that Erwin at least taught you about tactical value."

"He did, Sir, yes."

"Good." Adam saw the huge man briefly raise his head, away from his flask, to look him straight the eye. "You realise that I will have to inform Erwin of this incident, though, yes?"

Adam felt embarrassment course through him.

"I'd assumed so, yes, Sir."

"You'll most likely get a consequence." Came the gruff reply. "But not as severe as being kicked out."

"But, Sir." Adam pressed. "I attacked a Senior Officer." He felt himself cast his gaze away from the Commander, down towards the floor. "That's grounds for court-martial."

He heard a dull creak as the Commander shifted the weight of his body forward and leant in to Adam, across the desk.

"Adam, the only thing that's Senior about Arnold is his career. In short, it will most likely be dead soon. If you catch my drift."

"Sir?"

"He's been abusing recruits for a decent length of time. When I first found out, I was enraged - obviously. But, with the legal system from the Capital-"

Adam watched the massive man take another swig of his concoction.

"-we needed hard evidence of his assaults, to which there has been none. Until I watched him club Trainee Blouse over the head, today."

Adam tightened up, sure that the Commander was mistaken.

"Sir," he began, "Arnold never-"

"Arnold never once apologised after he clubbed Trainee Blouse over the head, which

led to a swift and irrevocable decision from me to remove him from his position, effective immediately."

Adam saw the massive man wink at him.

"Sir." He replied, sullenly. "Yes, Sir."

"Good." He listened to Jurgen continue. "I don't like you, Adam. I'm not going to sugar-coat that. Your skills are severely limited by your lack of control over your emotions. Your ambition prevents you from climbing to even greater tactical heights than Trainee Ackerman. You selfishly, yet unknowingly waste your own potential, and in connection, both mine and Commander Erwin's time. And, I strongly dislike that."

"Sir." He responded with, simply. He knew that Jurgen was right.

"But, I respect you greatly. For your actions today, in the defence of one comrade, and the concern of another. I also respect Erwin, more than most men. That's why I feel it's fit to tell you this."

Adam looked the huge man in the eyes, again.

"Tell me what, Sir?"

He kept his cool as the big man leant towards him again. Adam nearly visibly flinched when the thick smell of alcoholic breath hit him.

 _Whatever liquor is in that flask is most likely almost as hard as the Walls._

"Tell you that because of that little stunt today, and you messing with the status quo around here, you're losing a lot of friends. You and the 104th included. Best squad we've had in generations, yet the sticklers around here can't handle being outplayed by teenagers."

Adam focussed much more when he noticed the Commander's tone turn grave.

"Adam. Erwin and I are the only people left in the Army looking out for you. Do you understand me?"

Adam knew perfectly well.

"Sir. Yes, Sir."

He hadn't realised the gravity of the situation. Were the soldiers in the Training Corps so upset with their progress that they feared being outclassed by those their younger?

"That'll be all." He watched the big man recede, and lean back into his chair. Deftly, he made himself stand, and felt his calves begin to ache again, as they took the weight. He'd always been different from others, though. He'd always liked the pain. He thought it was validation that his exercise was doing something.

He quickly strutted back across the cosy room, and placed his left hand on a slightly-rusted, faded-gold door handle.

"Adam?" He stopped as soon as he heard the voice.

"Sir?" He said to the Commander, without moving his body.

"Be careful who you trust."

He paused briefly before replying.

"Sir." He said finally, and swung the door open in a swift movement, feeling his legs picking up pace beneath him. He felt a presence to his left, on the porch, but paid it no due and simply strode past, accommodating for the change of surface when he hit the gravel, to maintain his pace. It was Arnold, he had no doubt, and he had no desire to engage with that man again.

"Just keep walking, dropout!" He heard yelled at him, from behind. "You'll be on a cart by morning, just you wait and see!"

Adam couldn't help but revel in the ignorant irony of that statement.

 _You're about to have a fun five minutes, Sir._

His mind drifted as he strode the path back to the barracks. The descent back down the hill took a fraction of the time it took him to ascend, he noted. He took some time to himself, to gaze around again. It was early evening, now. The sun had dropped faster than he thought it had, and he admired the beauty of the orange evening light cascading across grassy fields and tired trainees, finishing up their activities for the day. The 104th had been dismissed for the rest of the day, he assumed; he immediately knew that Braun would be less than impressed at that. The rest shouldn't be too much of an issue, though - Jean would make some snarky comment, Eren would react to it, but everyone else would just get on with their evening. They'd hopefully pay little or no attention to him, just like they'd been doing since he got here. He realised that he'd come to like that - he enjoyed being in the presence of others, without them getting mixed up in his unusual life.

He'd become unaware of how quickly he had been walking - he had already moved past the marching plain, and come back into the view of the barracks. He could make out the odd silhouetted figure going about evening activities on the outside. He didn't want to talk to them, though. Quickly, he removed his jacket, tying the sleeves around his waist and letting the cooling air at his torso. He scoured the fields nearby the barracks, trying to see if Sasha was still running. It didn't take an overly large amount of time to find her - she'd gotten to the point of lumbering around, again. He felt openly bad for her. She hated the running, but she did it anyway. He admired her determination.

 _It won't be hard to keep pace with her,_ he thought. _Maybe I have time for a quick detour._

He kicked up his speed, and started running at a swift pace. He loved the feeling of running. He felt free.

He darted forward a hundred meters or so, catching Sasha a way, but then darted left, towards the cabins. He maintained his speed, setting his body into a rhythm he'd rehearsed a thousand times before. He didn't require concentration, or a process, to run. He just ran.

He scoured the front of the cabin with his eyes as he approached it, until he found what he was looking for. He darted forward, past a slowly moving Annie, who seemed to care little and less that he'd returned. He was impressed with himself, and his fitness - he hadn't even began panting, yet. His calves screamed at him, but he made them work harder. Skirting the edge of the cabin, he ran past a barrel with an open lid, and deftly plucked two green, ripe apples from the pile. He picked up his pace again, revelling in the crunches of his footfalls on the dirt and grass. He turned his head slightly as he moved past Annie, again, and they made eye contact for a brief moment.

He noticed he'd allowed his pace to slow, a little.

 _Seriously? Pick it up._

He demanded more and more from his legs, and his speed increased again. With an apple in each hand, he rapidly made up the ground between himself and the exhausted Sasha.

"Heads up!" He hollered forward at her, as he came close. He saw her turn to him, and smile widely.

He reached her side, and lowered his pace to match hers. It was almost a crawl compared to his previous pace, but he was okay with that.

"Adam!" He heard her say. She sounded pleasantly surprised, he thought. "What are you doing here?"

"Saying thanks to you." He heard himself respond, as he looked into the running girl's eyes. "What you did today - you didn't need to. I appreciate it."

"It's fine." He heard her manage, between heavy breaths. "He was way out of line, with that. I don't know why you're getting such a hard time. It's unfair."

"Yeah."

"So," he heard Sasha continue, "are you getting kicked out?"

"Nope." He responded, shortly.

"I'm glad." He heard her reply. "What about Sergeant Arnold?"

He said nothing, and only looked at her, and smiled slyly.

"What?!" She said with disbelief, giggling. He liked it when she laughed. "No way! He got-"

"Kicked out, yeah." He responded. "So, thanks. Catch!"

He gently tossed the apple in his left hand over to her. He followed it with his eyes as

it ascended in a graceful arc, and as Sasha deftly plucked it out of the air. He followed her lead, and bit into his after she bit into hers.

"This is incredible, oh my god." He heard her say, her voice slightly muffled by the food. He felt her move over to him, and sling an arm over his shoulder.

"Thank you, Adam."

She squeezed him, and he felt an unfamiliar rush when her hips accidentally connected with the side of his waist. It was different to adrenaline.

He didn't respond - he couldn't think how to.

"Hey," he heard her begin again, pausing every now and again to inhale strongly. "how the hell are you so fit? I'm exhausted, and you haven't even started panting yet."

"I don't know." He replied, basically. "I guess I've just always run. I love running. I feel free."

"Huh." He heard Sasha quip. "And you get a physique like that just from running, right?"

He kept forgetting about that. In his haste to catch up, he'd removed his jacket. He knew he wasn't a big person - not as large as some of the other recruits, and definitely not comparable to Jurgen - but he glanced down, and realised just how defined he was through the thin white shirt that the recruits were required to wear.

"Seriously," He listened to Sasha continue, "even Reiner Braun is jealous."

"Should I be alarmed about that?" He asked, somewhat curious. He realised he'd never conversed properly with the large Braun.

"I don't think so, no. Reiner keeps to himself, a lot."

"Right."

He became aware of the sun beginning to slip below the horizon. He saw the shadows growing longer, and the orange light beginning to fade.

 _It's getting late._ He realised, glancing around his surroundings. He let his gaze fall behind him, back the cabins. He made himself squint, trying to discern the identity of the single silhouette still standing outside. Upon closer inspection, he realised that it had short-cropped, blonde hair. He allowed himself to look back at Annie, for a moment. For as long as he did, he felt that she held her gaze back at him.

 _Weird._ He thought, and made himself turn back around, to face forward again.

"You've got more friends here than you think, you know." He listened to Sasha say, as he brought his head back around. "Jean is sarcastic, and Eren is angry, but they both respect you."

"I guess that's better than them having it out for me."

"And, after today?" He listened to her continue, meeting her gaze again. He noticed they'd drifted quite far from the cabins, now. "You've even earnt the respect of _her."_

Looking ahead a way, he could see where Sasha's tracks in the dirt stopped, and double around.

"Her? Who?" He asked, unsure what or who Sasha was referencing. He never was one for inferences. He preferred when people were open, and didn't try to cleverly conceal their meanings.

" _Her._ " He heard Sasha say again. He noticed she was panting heavily, now, and that her face had morphed into a pained grimace. He felt fine himself, but knew that she couldn't keep this up for much longer. "Annie Leondhart. She hasn't spoke to anyone since she got here, and she always wears a scowl, but when you tackled Arnold, her face changed in a way I hadn't seen before."

He made a mental note to remember that.

"Fine." He said, attempting to make Sasha believe he'd disregarded the subject. He raised his right arm, and gestured slightly further ahead, to where he'd noticed Sasha's tracks stopped. "Is that your turning point?"

"Y-yeah." He listened to her tell him, through her exhaustion. "To there, and back, and back, and back. For like, three hours."

"Well, it's getting late." He heard himself say idly, concerned for Sasha's tiredness, but also secretly enjoying the exercise. "We can probably head back, after this one."

He noticed her flinch in surprise at his suggestion of defiance.

"But, Jurgen-"

"Jurgen won't know." He made himself reply, matter-of-factly. "I don't think he has the strength to haul his massive body down here, anyway."

He listened to her chuckle, again. He hadn't intended for the statement to be funny, but owned it regardlessly.

"You're a real character, Adam."

"Thanks." He said pleasantly, matching her genuine tone. He was unacquainted with people taking a social interest in him - particularly in terms of positivity - but, he decided that he liked it.

"Come on!" He said, spurring her on. "Let's sprint the last bit!"

"A-Adam!" Came the stuttering response from behind him, as he pushed his pace up and jetted away from Sasha, rapidly getting closer to the point where she'd been stopping and turning back. "W-wait!"

"Match my pace!" He yelled back at her, trying his best to egg her on. "Come on!"

He ran for a short time, by himself. The line was in sight. He felt his legs straining beneath him, but coping with the exertion.

"Fine!"

He turned his head to the right, surprised. The voice he'd heard was so much close than he'd expected. He then realised that Sasha had caught up, and was right next to him, matching his pace and sustaining it.

"Nice!" He yelled back, a wide grin cutting across his face. He temporarily slowed his legs, and stiffening them, slid through the dirt, stopping just on the far side of the line. He noticed Sasha do the same, and come to a halt right next to him. He deftly doubled around, and made his body assume a readied pose, facing the cabin. It was so small in the distance. He noticed that the dull orange hues were starting to fade to a cool, deep blue, and that lights were visible in the cabin.

"Race you back!" He heard himself yell.

"You're on!" Came his response.

 _Good._

He thought he wouldn't go too hard on her, but in the moment he took to think, he saw that Sasha had already left, and was beginning to pull away. Mustering his strength, he ploughed forward, sprinting as hard as he could. He was loving this. He realised he was moving as quickly as he'd ever moved before.

He saw Sasha was maintaining an excellent pace, just up ahead of him, and that the cabin was rapidly growing larger. He tried to up his pace even more, tried to make his legs move wider and faster, and was rewarded with a brief yet intense burst of extra speed, until he'd pulled slightly ahead of her. He felt his heart thumping in his chest, and the veins in his neck and head pulsing. He felt alive.

"Hey, no fair!" He heard Sasha say from behind him, to his left, as he pulled past her. "How'd you catch up so quickly?!"

He didn't respond to her, but just kept running. He had to win!

He saw the cabin was right by them now, and slowed his pace, coming to a gentle halt just outside the door. He felt like an idiot, but couldn't wipe the massive grin off of his face. He lived for this stuff. As Sasha approached, he took another bite from the juicy, green flesh of his apple. He noticed when she got back that Sasha had already demolished hers, and disposed of the evidence.

"How do you feel?" He heard himself ask, turning to her and grinning, then tossing the apple core away.

"Exhausted." He watched her reply, smiling. He saw her forehead was dripping wet with sweat. "I'm going inside. I gotta get some rest."

He was taken aback a little at first, when she moved towards him, and hugged him. Realising what was happening, he hastily put his arms around her and hugged back, trying his best not to appear rude. He felt her warmth on his body. He didn't know what to do.

"Thanks for the apple." He heard her say, and then watched her as she broke from the hug and walked onto the porch, making her way inside the cabin.

His breathing had already returned to normal, he'd noticed. Maybe he did exercise too much, and was becoming too acclimatised to it. Needless to say, he certainly didn't feel tired. Or, satisfied, for that matter.

He stood upright, stretched, and felt his spine click into place as he extended. He made himself move onto the porch, and then into the cabin. The whole time, he kept his head down. He heard conversation - he recognised the voices talking - but decided not to participate or even acknowledge them. He strode casually down the centre of the cabin, past the bunks, past the other Trainees, and towards a small room to the right of the bathroom.

 _I hope that their conversations aren't concerning me,_ he thought, despite the fact he was paying them no heed.

As he moved forward, he felt his left arm brush up against a large figure pushing past him.

 _Reiner Braun, no doubt._

He felt a slight sting in his arm where Reiner had knocked into him. Still, he refused to acknowledge the large Trainee.

He motioned towards the small door to the right of the bathroom. He needed to seek solace from the bustle and heat of the inside of the bunkroom. Something about it had always set him on edge.

He place his left hand firmly on the face of the wooden door, and gently cracked it open, peering inside. He looked around the smallish, darkened room. No one else was in there, luckily. Only metal weights in a variety of different shapes, and sizes, strewn on countless metal bars. He deduced that the last user of the room was most likely the large Braun, who he remembered had a terrible habit of forgetting to put his gear away when he was finished using it.

He moved into the room, and shut the door gently, hearing the latch click firmly into the wall. He sighed quietly, and moved forwards. He removed his white shirt, which had begun to itch, and placed it on the floor, next to his Training Corps jacket. He flexed briefly, letting the cooling air at his abdomen.

 _Let's see what Reiner was lifting._

He moved over to the back-left corner of the room, and made himself sit on one of the benches. He saw two large, cast-iron dumbbells sat on either side of the bench, where Reiner had presumably left them. It was understandable, he decided. He knew well that once the adrenaline took over, things like cleaning lost their importance.

He swung his body around, until he was parallel with the bench, and laid down. He felt his arms fall down to the side, and without looking, his hands grip the textured metal bars. He took one in each hand, and tensed. He was suddenly aware of the sensation of his arms capably lifting the weight, but struggling under the resistance.

He knew that this weight was most likely well above his own capabilities, particularly for a trainee the size of Reiner Braun, but he made himself do it. He felt his arms and shoulders screaming, and his face contort. He wasn't sure if it was a grin or a grimace. He saw the two massive weights enter his vision, and stop when they met each other a meter or so above his head. Tensing, he let them back down to his sides, and did them again. And again. He did them as many times as he could, until his left arm gave out and the weight fell to the mat with a dull thump.

He raised himself, and turned to his left, facing away from the doorway. His breath was up again, and he felt his heart pounding. He felt the flesh of his arms throbbing. It was a good pain, excluding his left bicep.

 _Really got to balance that arm out,_ he thought to himself, upset that he'd reached failure.

"Braun only did fifteen of those." He heard spoken from behind him. He span his head around quickly, surprised by the sudden appearance of the voice. It was one he hadn't heard before.

 _Shit, how long has she been standing there for?_

He noticed she'd taken her jacket off, too.

"Really?" He heard himself reply vaguely to Annie, who he noticed had at least had the decency to shut the door when she'd entered. He hadn't heard her come in, though, which surprised him greatly.

"Yeah." He listened to her response. He thought it sounded curt, and overly to the point, but… curious, at the same time. "Know how many you just did?"

"I-" He paused for a brief moment. He didn't know, he realised. "I don't know. I lost count."

"Thirty three." He was taken aback a little by the number. "No one's done that many, before."

"Right." He heard himself reply, awkwardly. Her gaze set him off-guard a little. It was cold, he noticed. Much colder than Sasha's. But oddly intriguing at the same time.

In the next moment, he realised that he had no shirt on.

"Oh, shit, I-" he began, quickly trying to raise himself from the bench, but inhaling sharply when he nearly collapsed. He noticed his left arm had given out - again - but he hadn't hit the floor.

He felt the warmth of smaller hands on his body. One on his chest, the other underneath his side. He swallowed, embarrassed. He looked at Annie, her face right by his. He was impressed the the speed at which she'd approached him, and caught him.

"I, uh-" He stuttered nervously, standing himself upright. He noticed that her hand lingered on his chest for a moment. "I… I owe you for that."

"It's fine." Came her blunt response. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

He found it a little funny that he had to look down to make eye contact with her. He knew he was shorter than Jean Kirstein, and Braun, but he was far from short. Without saying anything, he gently made his head turn to look where another large set of weights sat on another bar. He saw that Reiner had left his maximum weight there, as well, and saw a challenge in the way the bar sat on the rack that supported it.

He heard Annie sigh.

"Fine, big shot. I'll spot you."

That was all the confirmation he needed, and swiftly, he made his way over to the bench that sat underneath the rack. Quickly making himself climb on top, he assumed the position and lay underneath the massive rack. Placing his hands equidistantly on the larger textured bar, he waited for Annie.

He watched her place her hands gently around the bar as well, on the area inside of where his were.

"Take the weight." He listened to her say bluntly. He did as he was told, and strained his arms, taking the bar and its weights off the rack and supporting it with the muscles in his chest, arms and shoulders.

 _Goddamn, that's heavy!_ He thought to himself as he grunted under the strain. He realised that the chest would be where Braun's main strength was. And then; _Shut up! You can do this._

He forced his arms to extend, sending the massive bar upwards almost a meter, the whole time under the vision of the ice-cold, crystal blue eyes. He was so transfixed with them that he felt himself almost drop the bar bringing it down. He recovered, though, and pressed it up again. He felt his arms screaming for release, but as he always did, he made them work harder. As he pressed the weight again, and again, he couldn't help but keep looking at her. He found his eyes drawn to her. He didn't know why, but he felt so intrigued by her.

 _Shit, my left arm._ He thought, as he felt his left bicep twinge painfully, and himself suddenly lose hold of the weight. He took the embarrassment of failing in front of Annie, and subsequently was far more concerned about bracing for the imminent pain of the metal bar crushing his throat. He cringed as he felt it connect, and the huge wait press his throat inward. He wheezed as it forced the air from his windpipe.

But, as soon as he had felt the pain, it had released.

He gasped, and spluttered, his lungs craving the air. He took the breath quickly, and raggedly. He looked up at Annie.

 _Not bad._

He felt that he'd almost entirely stopped supporting the weight, yet the bar was still being held up, away from his throat. He saw her face, carrying a worried but determined expression, and the muscles of her arms tensing to a point where they were similarly defined to his. She was completely holding the weight up, herself, he realised.

That's when he looked down, at the feeling of pressure, and realised she had mounted the bench. He saw she was kneeling, with one leg on either side of him, resting her hips on his lower waist.

 _Oh, fuck._

He quickly tensed his arms as hard as he could, and gripped on to the bar, forcing it upwards. Their two strengths combined sent it up much faster than he'd expected, and he felt her help him guide the bar back to stand on the rack.

When the tension dissipated, he felt his arms burning. He felt his brow and face burning too. The heat was unfamiliar. Was he sweating, too?

He couldn't move with her on top of him like that, and it seemed that she refused to move, for a moment. All he could do was meet her gaze. Ice-cold, blue eyes danced with fiery green.

"I, uh-" He began, wincing as he noticeably stuttered. "Thanks?"

"No problem." Came Annie's usual curt response, and he felt the tension both on his waist and in his mind alleviate as he watched her lift herself, and move back across the room. He stayed stock still, lying on the bench, still shirtless, somewhat in shock, as he watched her pick up his shirt, and toss it to him.

"Your arms will hurt in the morning." He heard her say, as he watched her open the door. He saw through the crack that the lights were off, now. He guessed everyone was asleep - but he'd hardly been paying attention.

 _Annie._

"Goodnight, Annie." He managed to spurt at her before she left. The words came out clumsily, and he had to catch himself to prevent himself visibly wincing.

He watched her pause briefly, and hang at the door.

"Night." He listened to her say simply, as he watched her merge with the darkness.

 _What are you getting yourself into, idiot?_


End file.
